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Triathlon troubles prompt legends to act

Roger VaughanAAP
Emma Carney says Triathlon Australia needs a full and independent review after a poor Tokyo 2020.
Camera IconEmma Carney says Triathlon Australia needs a full and independent review after a poor Tokyo 2020. Credit: AP

Emma Carney and Michellie Jones, two of Australian triathlon's greatest competitors, have become high-profile figures in the fallout from the sport's Tokyo Olympics disaster.

Carney is embroiled in a heated dispute with Triathlon Australia that has unfolded publicly since the Games, saying the national governing body badly needs a full and independent review.

Lawyers have become involved, with the two-time world champion saying the problems at TA extend well beyond the poor results at Tokyo.

She has accused TA of poor governance and athlete mismanagement.

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In turn, TA has written a lengthy letter to its members, saying many of Carney's allegations are inaccurate and unfounded.

TA has also suspended Carney's membership, pending a Sports Integrity Australia review.

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"TA needs a full, independent review - that's all I've ever asked for," Carney said.

"It's not about Tokyo - what it's about is athlete care and respect within a sport.

"My concerns have been raised for (many) years. Tokyo was a failure and I watched athletes in Tokyo do post-raced interviews and look at their feet - it broke my heart."

Her online petition calling for a full review of TA has more than 1200 signatures.

"When the things come out that TA have done, I am 100 per cent confident (of a full and independent review) ... I believe it will rock Australian sport," Carney said.

Then on Friday, Jones' name stood out on a nine-person committee that was announced to oversee a joint TA and Australian Institute of Sport review of the sport's Olympic and Paralympic high performance programs.

But Carney said the review would not be independent, adding its findings would not pass any test of governance, integrity and transparency.

What is not in dispute is that Australian triathlon is in big trouble.

It is far removed from the glory days of the '90s and 2000s, with Tokyo the second-successive Olympics where Australia won no medals in the sport.

Even more worrying, the production line of talent that fuelled Australia's international success appears to have dried up and the sport lacks high-profile national events.

The problem extends beyond the Olympics. Australia had a winner at the Hawaiian Ironman every year from 2006 to '14 - but none since.

Carney won two world titles in the 1990s, but lost an appeal against her non-selection for the Sydney Olympics.

She eventually was forced to give up elite competition because of a serious heart issue.

At her peak Carney had some memorable head-to-head duels with Jones, who also won two world titles before claiming silver at triathlon's Sydney Olympics debut.

She then became the first Australian woman to win Hawaii in 2006 and guided Katie Kelly to Paralympic gold in Rio.

Apart from their outstanding athletic ability - they are among four triathletes inducted into the Sport Australia Hall Of Fame - Carney and Jones have also been renowned for speaking their minds about issues within the sport.

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